Crack in the Kill Code (AmpCore #2)

25 - Boiling Point

The van Toran had procured for them slid neatly into the AmpCore vehicle bay. In the passenger compartment, Piper waited impatiently for the all clear. She needed to speak to Mattise. She needed to think, and needed to try and reach out to the presence again.

Any ideas? she enquired silently of her passenger.

Vague shadows. Cassie sounded peevish. Out of my reach.

Better than nothing.

Whatever haunts, it is different to the codewraiths. No code to feel. Its implants felt dead.

Implants? Piper frowned as she pressed the autobelt release. Like AmpCore? Odiye, Arrow and the Skiltron security detail riding with them rose up around her. She joined them, trying not to appear too distracted.

Not AmpCore. Not like yours. Dead things, designed that way.

Stealth tech, she offered. Something designed to stop someone reading it. To stop people like us from knowing what it was.

People like us. Cassie's mood brightened. She felt it in the back of her throat, like she'd just swallowed a fizzy soda.

"Alright," Toran barked from the front seat. "Everybody out!"

Cassie receded into her mind, seemingly understanding that interacting with two worlds at the same time was a struggle. She made a mental note to follow up as she fell into line behind the others. They spilled out into the main garage – a low, neat cavern lined with cars, bikes, vans and a handful of armoured trucks.

She looked around, noting with some confusion the lack of noise. Normally the main garages were busy places, with AmpCore agents and their escorts coming and going. Particularly with the volatile situation at the docks, she expected to see a lot more people here. There were a handful of corporate security strolling disinterestedly around, and a lone AmpCore agent with a Ness-Net stamp on her shoulder who seemed to be in charge of them, but not much else.

Officer McMurdo, the head of Toran's security detail, slid gracefully out from the driver's seat, the door sliding shut and locking behind him at the flick of a wrist. In his early thirties, he was a shaven-headed hawk of a man, with sharp features and dark, piercing eyes. His thin mouth formed a tight line as he gestured to his team, motioning them into position as the group started towards the entrance.

"Welcome home," Toran chuckled as he walked after them.

"It is quiet," Odiye said, looking perplexed. Piper caught his eye; gave him a small nod to let him know she felt the same.

"It is quiet, isn't it?" With McMurdo sticking close by his side, Toran led the way, walking up to the agent on duty.

Barely into her mid-twenties, she must've only just qualified as a fully fledged operative, Piper thought. She had pale skin and unruly red curls swirling around her head like fire. Her bored expression changed quickly to one of surprise when she saw them coming and she stood straighter, clearing her throat and giving Toran a deferential nod.

"Mr. Knox."

He eyed her dubiously. "Hi. You're operative..."

"Clough. Danni Clough." She nodded again. "Something I can help with?"

"Where the hell is everyone?"

Clough shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know. I'm just on my assigned shift." Her mouth moved uneasily behind closed lips for a moment, as thought she was sifting through which words to say. "It is a little... odd. Haven't had any excursion parties in and out for two hours."